Louis Alphonse de France
Louis Alphonse '(19th February 1714 - 3rd March 1754) was Dauphin of France from his birth in 1714 until his death in 1754, as the eldest son and heir of King Charles XII and his wife, Queen Marie Fernande. He was known at first as simply ''Monseigneur le Dauphin ''from 1714 until the birth of his eldest son Louis Charles in 1741, from which point he was known as ''Monseigneur le Grand Dauphin, ''while Louis Charles became ''Petit Dauphin. ''As Dauphin of France, he was first in line to inherit the French throne during his lifetime. Had he lived to reign, he would have been '''Louis XV. ' Louis Alphonse was well-admired for his virtue, kindness, charity and general good-nature. He was known for his large donations to charitable organisations in Paris, helping with the poverty issues there massively. He won the adoration of the people of Paris for his willingness to associate himself with them, often venturing out into the streets of Paris to speak and socialise with common Parisian people. These actions were praised by many, including King Charles, who saw it as an excellent way to gain popularity for the monarchy in Paris. He was widely mourned after his death in 1754, with hundreds of sermons being held by Parisians with open weeping in the streets. Biography '''Birth Louis Alphonse de France was born on February 19th, 1714 at the Palais des Tuileries to the 15-year-old King Charles XII and his wife, the 16-year-old Queen Marie Fernande. Both parents were ecstatic at the birth of a son and heir, with the King officially confirming the newborn as Dauphin of France, Duc de Bretagne and Duc de Bourgogne. He became the second most important male in France at birth, as first-in-line to the French throne and the immediate next King. He possessed prestigious ancestry, making him an appealing candidate for royal marriages, with him being a descendant of the Senior line of the House of Habsburg on his maternal side, and the Capetian Dynasty paternally. Cities and towns across the Kingdom celebrated the birth of a new heir, but none moreso than Paris. King Charles organised massive celebrations, allowing numerous street parties and gatherings to occur. A fireworks display was set off in the Tuileries-Louvre Complex, with the remarkably well Queen Marie appearing alongside her husband and the newborn Alphonse on a balcony, much to the adoration and enjoyment of the gathered crowd. For the court, three parties were held over the course of the next week, and numerous other festivities would follow over the course of the month. The great fortress at Metz would give out a cannonfire salute to the new Dauphin, while the Bastille of Paris' garrison would give a musket salute to the Dauphin to prevent any damage from the cannons in the densely packed city. The bells of Notre-Dame Cathedral were rang in honour of the birth, and it was said that Paris had never seen such celebration and festivity. Celebrations continued into the small hours of the 20th, which brought much joy to the populace. Early Years Shortly after Alphonse's birth, the court returned to Fontainebleau, where it would stay for the next twelve years without any long period of interruption. The more pleasant and open environment around Fontainebleau was considered beneficial for the young Alphonse, which proved to be true as he would come to thrive at Fontainebleau. He was placed into the care of the then Governess of the Children of France, Germaine de Montauban, Dowager Comtesse de Montauban. Montauban was notably extremely pious, which may have been where Alphonse's piety and virtue first originated, having been spending much time with Montauban. Aside from this, Alphonse was a notably strong child, growing quickly and dwarfing others around his age. This early growth and strength would be noted, because in adulthood he would reach a staggering height of 6'3'', dwarfing all of his contemporaries, even being an inch taller than his father, King Charles. Nonetheless, even in early childhood, he made common appearances at the court. His father would make these appearances attempts to publicise his son and heir to the nobility, to ensure he became a well-known and supported heir amongst the nobility. The Queen claimed that it was unorthodox, though she understood the necessity and the success of his appearances. They would have a positive effect on Alphonse's personality, with him becoming more gregarious and talkative as a result. As the first French Prince of his generation, Alphonse had the legacy of a dynasty to uphold. He was taught from a young age of the glories of the Capetian Dynasty, and King Charles personally attempted to drill the message into him that the future of the Dynasty was his responsibility, in an attempt to prepare him for the trials and tribulations of rulership. The message would stick with Alphonse, with him becoming obsessed with living up to the legacy of the Capetian Dynasty, and he would study the successes and the mistakes of the many French Kings who had preceded his father to ensure he would learn something from them. He personally admired King Robert III, who had become a saint after death, for his piety and religious purity. Alphonse himself became deeply zealous and pious during his childhood, often studying religious scripture as a pastime, while many children his age would be playing in the gardens. He was a bookish and diligent boy, devoted to his studies above all. He was quiet for much of his youth, preferring solitude and study over other things. He did, however, attend court. Formal Education At age eight, as was custom, Alphonse was taken from his former governesses and assigned a governor, in the form of his father's close friend Louis Charles Alphonse d'Artois d'Orleans, already a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who would eventually go on to become Duc d'Orleans and Premiere Ministere de l'Etat over time. His governor being a Cardinal further reinforced Alphonse's religious fervour, with him once even expressing the desire to go on to become a monk, though this was quickly ruled out and prohibited by King Charles. His intellect was clear to see from a young age, though he was not as remarkable as his father had been at his age. Nonetheless, he was taught languages such as English, Latin and German. He was also taught mathematics, writing, history, geography and philosophy, the last of which he took a particular interest in. He became fascinated in theology and philosophy, often studying religious scriptures and other religious texts. He became known as "Le Petit Prêtre", ''or ''"the Little Priest" ''for his advanced and in depth knowledge of Catholic teaching and the bible. As he aged, Alphonse made more frequent public appearances at court. He impressed many with his confidence and speaking ability, with him having a particularly noticeable skill with charm and flattery, winning him many friends and supporters. Even his father, the King, was impressed with him. When he was ten, a betrothal was arranged between him and Isabella d'Este, daughter of the Duke of Modena and a descendant of many different branches of European Royalty. She was considered an ideal match, despite her status as a daughter of only a duke, she was a wealthy heiress. Around the same time, Alphonse became enamoured with the idea of the Divine Right of Kings, believing each King that had been had been personally selected and appointed by God himself. Believing that he owed God for his position, as a future King, he would devote much of his time and effort to the Church. When he was twelve, he was able to correspond with Pope Clement XII for a short time, discussing complex theology and religious teaching. He was otherwise intelligent in his own right, aside from religion, becoming well-versed in literature, administration and military matters. One commented, ''"The shadow cast by his father is a hard one to step out of, but the young Dauphin almost manages it. He is devoted, diligent and everything else you could ask from an heir." Marriage and Family Alphonse and his betrothed, Isabella d'Este, were married at Notre-Dame de Paris on January 14th, 1732. He was seventeen at the time of the wedding, and she was fifteen. It was said that there was an instant love and affection between the two, which some commented was quite contrary to how his parents had felt towards one another. Indeed, his father's infidelity was quite public by this point, which Alphonse strongly disagreed with. He vowed to be forever faithful to Isabelle, and she did the same for him. The ceremony was attended by anyone who was anyone in France, including his parents, his siblings and many great nobles. A scandal was almost created with the open objection of Alphonse and his mother to the presence of Marie-Louise Clementine d'Artois de Conde, Duchesse de Guise, and his father's Maitresse-en-Titre. ''After much objection and arguing, almost brewing to the point of scandal, the King dismissed Guise from the ceremony. The ceremony otherwise went without hitch, following strict protocol and tradition, as insisted on by Alphonse himself. After the ceremony, there was a large and grand procession back from Notre-Dame to the Tuileries, Many thousands flocked to the streets of Paris to watch the procession, with the atmosphere being regarded as cheerful and adoring towards the Dauphin and Dauphine. Alphonse himself insisted on an open carriage, appearing publicly before the eyes of the people. He commented, ''"The people are no less significant than us, we cannot seclude ourselves under the guise of privilege and special rights. We have been given these positions to serve the people, and that we will do. If they wish to see us, they are more than welcome to". ''This was said to be the beginning of Alphonse's immense popularity with the common people, as well as his later practice of venturing out into the streets of Paris to socialise with the commoners and to accept their opinions on matters which affected them. Nonetheless, there was a large ball held at the Tuileries when the procession arrived, which many flocked to the gates to see. After the bedding ceremony, the marriage was consummated on the first night. To the couple's dismay and horror, however, their first pregnancy resulted in the birth of a stillborn daughter. After, followed a stillborn son in November 1735, a miscarriage in March 1737 and another stillborn son in August 1738. After these tragedies, their first livebirth child was born in the form of Madame Sophie Therese, born in December 1739. However, she was born feeble and sickly and died in January 1740, to the further misery of the couple. The King's Maitresse-en-Titre, Marie-Louise Clementine d'Artois de Conde, who had bore the King eleven livebirth illegitimate children, commented privately on the situation, ''"It is their comeuppance. The proud '''chienne '''is being punished for her arrogance. The two have snubbed me and mine own for too long, I must say I am happy to see their suffering." ''Alphonse and Isabelle finally had a child who survived infancy, their son Louis Charles who was known at court as ''le Petit Dauphin. ''Louis Charles would die in 1748, aged seven, believed to be partially caused by the poor air and conditions in Paris, which led to the King constructing the Chateau de Saint-Robert as an escape from Paris. After him came Madame Elisabeth Henriette, born in 1744. In 1745, their most well-known and first son to survive to adulthood was born, Francois Charles, who became Dauphin after his father's death in 1754. Then came a stillborn daughter, which had another large impact on Alphonse and Isabelle, but she was followed in 1748 by Jean Robert, Duc de Fronsac. Jean Robert was said to have restored some of Alphonse's happiness after Louis Charles had been lost a few months earlier. Jean Robert would die in 1760, though this was after the death of Alphonse himself. After him came Philippe Louis, Prince de Bethune in 1752. He was followed by their final child, Marie Charlotte, who was born posthumously, three months after Alphonse himself would die in 1754. '''Court Life' Louis Alphonse was undoubtedly an important figure at court as Dauphin. He also possessed tremendous influence and favour with his father, who considered Alphonse his favourite child. He made many friends and acquaintances at court, though he was also notably an enemy of his father's maitresse-en-titre ''and confidant, Madame de Guise, as well as an opponent of the legitimisation of her children by the King. He was, truthfully, right to distrust Madame de Guise, who had only sinister attentions with her influence. He tried numerous times to convince his father of the true nature of Guise, though the King refused to dismiss Guise from court. The court seemed to divide into different factions, between the Dauphin and Guise. Alphonse would have more supporters than Guise, though she would possess some more powerful and influential allies. Around this time, Alphonse would struggle to step out of his father's shadow, attempting to make a name for himself through numerous methods. He attempted to assert his independence as a man, first attempting so as a military commander, towards the end of the War of the Austrian Succession. After the war had ended, Louis Alphonse returned to court at Fontainebleau. He had become known as a patron of the arts, and sponsored numerous building projects across the nation. He was gifted the Chateau de Meudon by his father in 1747, which he took great pride in renovating and refitting. WIP Issue '''Legitimate Issue' With his wife, Isabelle d'Este, he had seven livebirth children, of whom four survived, as well as three stillbirths and one miscarriage: * Stillborn daughter (14th October 1732) * Stillborn son (8th November 1735) * Miscarriage (11th March 1737) * Stillborn son (7th August 1738) * Sophie Therese de France (20th December 1739 - 6th January 1740) * Louis Charles, Monsieur le Petit Dauphin ''(22nd January 1741 - 18th June 1748) * Elisabeth Henriette de France (15th March 1744 - Present) * Francois Charles, ''Monseigneur le Grand Dauphin ''(17th March 1745 - Present) * Stillborn daughter (1st April 1746) * Jean Robert, ''Duc de Fronsac ''(29th September 1748 - 3rd June 1760) * Philippe Louis, Prince de Bethune (8th May 1752 - Present) * Marie Charlotte de France (13th July 1754 - Present) Titles, Styles, Honours and Arms '''Titles and Styles' * 19th February 1719 - 22nd January 1741: Son Altesse Tres Royale, Monseigneur le Dauphin * 22nd January 1741 - 3rd March 1754: Son Altesse Tres Royale, Monseigneur le Grand Dauphin Honours * Knight Commander of the Order of the Holy Spirit * Knight Commander of the Order of St. Robert * Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Spain) * Knight Commander of the Order of King Francois IV Category:House of Artois Category:Dauphins of France Category:French Princes Category:Descendants of King Charles XII Category:18th Century Births Category:Capetian Dynasty